Newcastle United captain Jamaal Lascelles has been named in Alan Shearer’s Premier League team of the week.
The Toon legend names the Premier League’s best XI after every round of fixtures, and for the first time in a while there was a Newcastle involvement.
Shearer could have picked Joelinton or Callum Wilson, but instead he went with the skipper.
It was a small surprise to actually see Lascelles start against Burnley. He was suspended for the previous game against Norwich, where Federico Fernandez had impressed on his return to action.
But Eddie Howe went with Lascelles, and it was a decision that was justified.
The 28-year-old was commanding in the air, which is no mean feat up against a powerful striker like Chris Wood.
Lascelles looked much more comfortable than he has in recent weeks, which has led to some fans questioning his place in the starting XI.
But he proved a lot of doubters wrong on Saturday with a captain’s performance. It came at the perfect time too, as it was a must-win game for the Magpies. Howe’s side did just that, giving themselves a fighting chance at Premier League survival.
Lascelles the only Toon player in Alan Shearer’s star XI
Lascelles is in good company in Shearer’s team of the week, featuring alongside the likes of Bernardo Silva, Mason Mount and Son Heung-Min.
The Toon defender is the first Newcastle player to be named in Shearer’s Premier League best XI since Allan Saint-Maximin. The Frenchman was included in September after a scintillating performance versus Leeds.
With Newcastle on the up, hopefully more and more players are involved in Shearer’s team of the week. But, of course, the most important thing is winning games.
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